We legally cannot connect a residential customer in a Central Business District. We would like to be able to provide you with services, however Telecom have sole rights to residential customers in the Central Business Districts.

TCL's cable network doesn't extend to the CBD. Perhaps they're referring to reselling Telecom's residential services on Telecom's network - which they're not allowed to do within 100m (?) of their own network... which in this case would be their fibre business network. And there is probably some reason why they can't connect a residential service to their fibre network - like cost. That would leave Telecom as the only option which has both copper and fibre in the CBD.

Hello Brenda,
I have checked and 130 xyz Street, Wellington is cabled for busines. We are not able to provide residential services to the Central Business District.

...because the cable network doesn't extend there. So they pass it on to the business team to see what they say because they must get asked to connect residential services to their fibre networks all the time, all around the country. When they conside it the cable network doesn't even cross their minds because most of the places they are used to dealing with don't have a cable network. So they reply to Brenda:

Hello Brenda,
We legally cannot connect a residential customer in a Central Business District. We would like to be able to provide you with services, however Telecom have sole rights to residential customers in the Central Business Districts.

Just to clarify a couple of points here. As far as I'm aware, this is not about reselling Telecom services. Telstra has a fibre link into this physical building - but it's a business connection on the ground floor. They told me they couldn't service more than one location per address. They told me many different things, which are referenced in the blog entry. THeir final excuse was that Telecom has sole rights to residential connections in the CBD.

kiwigrrl: Just to clarify a couple of points here. As far as I'm aware, this is not about reselling Telecom services. Telstra has a fibre link into this physical building - but it's a business connection on the ground floor. They told me they couldn't service more than one location per address. They told me many different things, which are referenced in the blog entry. THeir final excuse was that Telecom has sole rights to residential connections in the CBD.

So it's not about the fibre being available, it's something else.

Having TCL fibre into a building doesn't mean they can provide you with a residential service. Their HFC network isn't fibre to the home it's only fibre to the node and then coax and copper from the node to the premises. TCL can't provide a residential (or business) cable modem service using a fibre connection.

kiwigrrl: so this may seem somewhat naive but what is the difference then between what they provide in the suburbs ...

aside from that the greater surprise is that telecom have an effective monopoly over CBD residential.

TCL's HFC network comprises fibre fed node's which then convert the phone and tv/cable modem services to copper and coax which runs to your house. The services they provide in the CBD are typically just fibre connections for business users and they have no way of providing a residential service over this fibre whether it be a phone service or a broadband service unless you're willing to get the appropiate hardware and pay business rates for a fibre connection.

In a sence Telecom have a monopoly in providing phone services in the CBD but that's only because TCL don't have copper to provide a connection. TCL Business connections are available over Telecom circuits. HomePlan connections (where you are connected via Telecom but TCL bill you) are not available anywhere in the Wgtn, Kapiti or Chch regions even if you're in a part of the city that doesn't have TCL's HFC network. They are however available everywhere else in NZ.

kiwigrrl: so this may seem somewhat naive but what is the difference then between what they provide in the suburbs ...

aside from that the greater surprise is that telecom have an effective monopoly over CBD residential.

TCL's HFC network comprises fibre fed node's which then convert the phone and tv/cable modem services to copper and coax which runs to your house. The services they provide in the CBD are typically just fibre connections for business users and they have no way of providing a residential service over this fibre whether it be a phone service or a broadband service unless you're willing to get the appropiate hardware and pay business rates for a fibre connection.

In a sence Telecom have a monopoly in providing phone services in the CBD but that's only because TCL don't have copper to provide a connection. TCL Business connections are available over Telecom circuits. HomePlan connections (where you are connected via Telecom but TCL bill you) are not available anywhere in the Wgtn, Kapiti or Chch regions even if you're in a part of the city that doesn't have TCL's HFC network. They are however available everywhere else in NZ.

Remember, TelstraClear is an agglomoration of multiple telcos - Clear Communications (Business), Saturn Communications (Residential), Telstra (Business) and some smaller guys, which were slammed together into a new company called TelstraClear. But just because there's been a bunch of commercial deals doesn't mean you instantly get Cable TV over Fibre into every building - it's the same boring old line, which is that it takes time money and effort.

Business connections are also available over the Frame Relay, Wireless, Analog and DSL cabinets which are doted around the CBD's of Dunedin, CHCH, Nelson, Welly, Palmie, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui, Hamilton, Tauranga and Auckland

The call centre should have supplied a consistent line. But then of course they would have sounded like they were reading from a script....

Still TCL's response is less than satisfactory. Why does it seem to be impossible to ever get a straight (and correct) answer out of any telco's these days?

It took me a while before I worked out how to ask questions to a telecommunications company but here is my general method:

Try to avoid asking questions that are likely to be answered with a "yes" (apparently, you need to do this in India as well ("is the train leaving at 11am? vs "what time does the morning train leave?").

Test the knowledge of the person on the phone by 'acting dumb' and saying things that are wrong and see if the person picks up on it.

To avoid confusion, don't just ask "is xyz available in my area", rather describe xyz in case it is actually called zyx, slowly zeroing in the the product/service name which they actually name.

Make at least 3 calls and see if you get the same answers from at least 2 people.

It doesn't help the fact when TCL have a Wellington inhome coverage map that has never reflected their actual network rollout. They have always had coverage shown East of SH2 in Petone showing coverage in Korokoro and Maungaraki yet don't have a network in this area.